Yeah, I know You love her
by Seraph05
Summary: A fic about Jack and Sawyer arguing about the fact that Sawyer said i love her about Kate. Please read, enjoy and review.
1. Yeah, I know You love her

After seeing the episode The Hunting Party I wrote this because ever since Sawyer said I love her I've been waiting for someone to bring it up and deal with it, damn it. Jack came so close to discussing it, I could feel it! But he didn't so in my annoyed state I, as usual, messed with things that were not mine to mess with. So this is them confronting the "I love her" as they are chasing after Michael.

Sneaking silently and skillfully behind the three edgy men, Kate crept. She knew all to well how to keep from being noticed, threading softly between branches, weaving gently through grass. There was no way she'd let them go alone. She had told jack before, perhaps falling on deaf ears, missions on the island were as much her problem as it was his. She wanted to help find Walt as much as everyone else and admittedly watch out for Sawyer and Jack too. She had the right to go. Frowning in interest, Kate listened carefully as a conversation began.

"What did she do to you?" Sawyer asked between audible breaths, his body still exhausted from his wound. Kate crawled closer crouching low, trying to prevent Locke from noticing her. There was a sting of guilt in her heart; she still hadn't apologized for kissing Jack.

"Nothing" Jack dismissed him shortly continuing on.

"Right" Sawyer responded in a slightly sly tone "You're yelling at her because she wanted to help get Mike back that makes a lot of sense"

"Why don't you go back and see if I hurt her feelings?" Jack said an underlying tone of anger becoming more apparent as they trudged on up the steep slope.

"I'm just saying" Sawyer replied realizing this was not the time to pick a bone with Jack, thinking that the conversation was over.

"Yeah, I know. You love her" Jack answered a stab of resentment in his now rough voice. Kate's breath caught in her throat and she froze, straining to hear. Sawyer had stopped too.

"What'd you say?" Sawyers' voice rose in surprise. Jack turned, a harsh look on his face, somehow managing to maintain a certain amount of calm.

"When I was treating your wound" he said nodding at Sawyers shoulder "You asked me where she was, I told you she was out getting food for you and then you said…I love her"

An feeling of acute estrangement ripped between Sawyer and Jack as they stared at one another. Jack started walking again.

"I can only assume she feels the same way…cause apparently you're a better kisser" Jack complained the almost bitter sarcasm not fading. Sawyer's expression hardened at that remark.

"Tested you out doc?" he growled his eyes set in a stone glare "Don't matter to me cause I don't love her" but as jack turned he caught a glimpse of something he didn't expect.

"I never loved anyone in my life" as the words, mingling with his coarse southern accent, passed over his lips his expression faltered momentarily revealing something raw and alone. Like saddened remorse at his own declaration.

Then it was gone. Kate sat reeling from the shock of the argument that had just taken place. She was still sitting there when the others came up behind her and took her without even a muffled scream. She had no chance to escape, nor to see that expression, the one meant for her eyes. But jack had and he knew...

Sawyer was lying.


	2. Jack, Kate and Sawyer

A/N: Well this was going to be a one shot but i got some inspiration from Can't Fight the Moonlight for this chapter. Thank you to 1LostFanand KateLillyfor encouraging me to write more.

Kate sat feeling the sand beneath her feet in the cool night air. Her beautiful eyes were filled with the stars above but her mind was not wandering among them. It was drifting between two men in a grassy clearing. She could still see them, as she had gazed out from the cover of the lush forest foliage, facing each other, arguing about her, about the love and hate she had caused. She could hear his heavy breathing and his cold sarcasm. They didn't realize their cutting words were hurting her too. Reeling from what they had said she didn't even notice the others until many hands had gripped her but by then it was too late. They pulled a dry rag tight around her mouth then dragged her away from the men scratches and grazes stinging her arms and legs and she struggled to escape, unable to cry out for help.

"Might as well give up, Kate," a deep husky southern accent, not unlike Sawyers but lacking in any charm or warmth, whispered in her ears. Then a bag was shoved over her head and her hands were bound. The speed at which this all happened surprised Kate as she lay in the dirt tossing and turning, trying to free herself from her bounds.

"Git' her up, lets move out" the voice said again with an authoritarian tone. She felt a hand grasp her arm and with no trouble pull her to her feet then shove her along. She was scared, terrified as she stumbled through the darkness with the others. The others that Russo had warned were to run from, hide from, or die from. They had her and it was like no situation she'd ever been in before. They were so strong, she had thought as she noticed the hand that was leading her hurt from the sheer grip. They must've walked for a few hours with her scuffing her feet and tripping on branches and rocks, she looked down massaging her toes remembering the burning pain she felt before she was tossed to the ground once more. A few tears had fallen from her eyes but she didn't even notice, her body stiff listening with hope to harsh voices that had sprung into the twilight air. It sounded like Jack, in a way. There was a warped condescending edge to his tone, which was so unlike him Kate wondered if it really was Jack. Then her captor spoke up.

"It's an interesting theory…" his tone matched Jacks then all of a sudden he yelled an order to the others "Light em up!" she could hear the distinct roars of many small fires bursting into the tense atmosphere.

"We got a mis-understanding Jack," his rough voice continued "Your people, my people. So listen carefully, right here there's a line, you cross that line, we go from misunderstanding to…something else" The threat was clear and simple "Now give me your weapons, turn around and go home".

Kate listened, and prayed to hear the single word she knew he'd say.

"No"

She gasped, hardly realizing she had been holding her breath, waited and to her horror Locke spoke up.

"Jack we-" he began but Jack cut him off, his voice getting louder.

"NO!"

"I hoped it wouldn't come to this" her captor spoke again leisurely as if it was a game, as if he held everyone's lives in his hands and could crush them at any moment, that everyone would do as he pleased "Bring her out Alex!" Suddenly she was yanked to her feet stumbling foreword once more. Then someone else had her. Her heart raced with panic, she was now too terrified to even cry.

"She was following you" The deep southerners accent was right next her ears, it was him "Like I said, curiosity"

The light rushed into her eyes as the bag was pulled off her head and there was Jack, Locke and Sawyer. She knew they must be angry, maybe even furious. The refection of the flames of the fire burned in Jacks eyes as he stared at her then he did a curious thing. He turned as if to walk away and Sawyer was the one to step foreword. He had a look about him, something flashing in his eyes; she thought it might be fury but blazing with it she saw…fear.

"Don't!" the southerner said freezing Sawyer in his tracks with the loud click of a gun loading. She could feel its steel mussel against the back of her head and she cringed not daring to resist. The click had brought Jack back too. He stood next to Sawyer.

"Jack the decision you gotta make right now is this; can you live with the fact that I shot this woman right in front o you?" he asked, Jacks face scowled as her captor continued "when you could have saved her life by giving up and going home?"

Kate could hear herself breathing, sniffling, and shivering. She had never felt more sorry for what she had done to Jack than now. She saw Sawyers eyes shifting between her face and the bearded man holding her prisoner.

"Now you're going to give me your guns, turn around, and walk away. S' your call Jack" he said. Out of the silence rose Sawyers voice in a harsh snarl.

"If you touch one hair on her head-"

"Shut up!" he dismissed Sawyer's comment as though Jack was the only man standing in the clearing he wanted to hear from. Jack glared on in silence.

"I'm going to count to three" a cruel smile drew the corners of his mouth up as he turned to her.

"One" she whimpered in fright staring into Jacks eyes.

"Two" Jack blinked his expression changed as if he'd woken from a nightmare.

"Stop!" the bearded man looked up. Jack took a step foreword and dropped his guns, making heavy clanking sounds on the ground.

"Now them" he ordered waving his gun at Locke and Sawyer, once again, as though they meant nothing. Locke took a step foreword adding his weapon to the pile.

"Gimme the other one too" he said in an arrogant voice, through sneering lips. Locke pulled out the gun he was hiding in his pocket and dropped it. Sawyer walked forward bending a little to drop his gun but then looked up into her captors face a familiar look in his eyes from when they first crashed; ruthless, detachment, as though he could kill.

"We ain't done Zeeke" his voice was low and vengeful then he dropped his weapon. 'Zeeke' bent down and picked up the guns then shoved her into Sawyer. She leaned against his chest and heard his heart racing, a few tears brushing off on his shirt. The torches all around faded, as did Zeeke into the inky black. She didn't even hear the sound of their footsteps as they went. She remembered Sawyer pulling the gag from her mouth as she gasped deep the fresh air. She remembered him untying her sore wrists but for some reason she was more concerned about Jack. She could barely believe that he hated her so much. She had to make it right or things just wouldn't be the same.

"Jack I-" she began but seeing his expression she felt a sense of futility envelop her.

"You alright?" He asked but there was no feeling in his voice, no care or concern. Weak all she could muster an answer cracked with the tears she had cried, her body still shaking.

"Yep" she nodded though he wasn't looking at her. He started walking away and Kate leant back on Sawyer again rubbing her wrists. She felt his face rest gently on her head briefly but he didn't say anything. The speechless trip back home had been a miserable one. She cried in silence, the dark veiling her tears. By the time the sun had rose again her tears were all but gone. But the guilt wasn't. It had eaten away at her through the night and as they drew close to the beach and caves she knew she had to try again.

"I was just trying to help Jack. When you told me not to go I just-" She spoke pleadingly focusing on the ground, he was ignoring her still "I made a mistake." He walked on.

"Hey!" she said grabbing him by the arm "Would you just talk to me for a second?" He put his hands on his hips but looked at her.

"I'm sorry" she apologized earnestly.

"Yeah. I'm sorry too," he said. The kindness in his voice had vanished, as had his trust for her.

Maybe…she'd lost him forever. Though she tried again a few times he preceded to ignore her.

"Don't beat yourself up Freckles" the tenderness in Sawyers voice had snapped her out of her thoughts about Jack as he walked away "If he'd a told me to stay behind I would have done the same damn thing"

Her mind wondered back again to the clearing. Two men. Jack and Sawyer. It was because she'd kissed him. Kissed Jack. She didn't want this – this rift between them. She had slept little through the day and when night had come, alone she had ventured down to the waters edge of the beach to sit alone and think. She was not afraid of the others, now. She had had enough fear in the last twenty-four hours to warrant a nonchalant view at any danger that might befall her. Kate had not connected with any of the other islanders like everyone else had and that pulling in her stomach was beginning to bother her again. That incessant need to run. Before Jack had been the one to anchor her down, to make her feel needed or belonging, but she was beginning to feel restless now that he had abandoned her. No doubt, she loved flirting with Sawyer and he loved to flirt with her too, perhaps the relationship they shared would become something, she remember that soft brush of his face on her head, like he was showing his concern at almost losing her. However she recalled his words, cold with icy honesty stating the way he didn't love her and when she thought he might stay with her to look after her that very morning he simply followed Jack in leaving her all alone. It made him seem distant. Maybe there was no one there for her. Maybe she was now the only one on the island that just didn't fit in. What she didn't realize was two sets of eyes had been watching her.

One dark and stormy. He paced a little gazing at her, while he felt bad; there was a sharp sting of anger and resentment toward her too. A secret longing to approach her and talk it out. It was in his nature. He hated to see people suffer. In his heart he knew he was still fond of her and though she had seemingly made her choice with the way she acted perhaps she still wanted him too. The wind whistled sorrowfully through the trees as the sand kicked up around his feet.

One light and brooding. He layback gazing at her, ignoring the soreness in his shoulder thinking about the bastard who had tried to kill her and the moment he heard the clicking sound. If he had killed her, what would it have done. He had never felt furious and scared at the same time before. He never thought such a terror for losing someone would have been so powerful. A light warm breeze blew over him and he decided, sitting up.

"Sawyer" startled, Sawyer looked up at Jack who had walked up without a sound behind him.

"Hey" he said quietly looking down avoiding Jack's gaze. They were both quiet for a minute or so, the rhythmic sound of waves washing in and out replacing their awkward silence.

"Have you asked if I've hurt her feelings yet?" Jack joked, though there was little humor in his question.

"I'm thinking about it" Sawyer answered then Jack patted him on the back and turned away.

"Tell her" Jack said pausing, some of the former softness returning "Im sorry" Sawyer nodded slowly as he stood. He walked down toward her. Kate's mind was playing with the thought of leaving. If Russo had lasted sixteen years what's to say she couldn't linger just out of everyone's way. Not so far that a rescue party would miss her, not so near that she would be reminded of the things that no longer held weights in her heart. All of a sudden Sawyer sat down next to her looking out at the stars and moon.

"Jack wanted me to tell you he's sorry," he said a little gruffly, he saw her look up at him from the corner of his eyes "Just passing on the message Freckles" Kate blinked a few times then smiled; within two short sentences he had made everything a bit better. It didn't fix anything, but it brought them all a little closer to normal. However normal was on this island.

"Thank you" She said and leant against him the great relief finally relaxing her, allowing drowsiness to set in, her last comment so uncharacteristically romantic "I like the sound of your heart"

Eventually the weight of the day's troubles, melting away Kate fell into a deep sleep. Sawyer picked her up and took her back to her tent muttering amusingly to himself:

"And here I thought you didn't know how to be sweet"


	3. Freckles

Kate's lovely green eyes reflected up at her in the pool running from the waterfall. She saw them frown, sadly at the memories this place evoked, her now sour view, tainting them. His voice echoed through the quiet clearing cheerfully from her mind.

"Don't tell me you're one of those nasal gazing types" it was dipped in a smooth southern accent, sporting a flirtatious edge as it always did with her. She remembered looking away and grinning as he had pulled of his shirt revealing his gorgeous tanned chest. They swam together laughing and making jokes. The short time they had spent jumping, splashing and playing that day had brought more happiness to each of them than they would ever know. The sadness gave way to anger as she was brought back to the reason she was sitting alone and she stood, kicking some stones into the water, her saddened reflection dissipating in the ripples. The same question that had been infuriating her for the last few days repeated in her head trying to comprehend his actions short days before. The guns no doubt lay somewhere close, only he truly knew where, but they didn't really matter to her. What mattered was the remanence of what might have been between them that lay with the cold steel weapons. Were they that important to him? She paced furiously; hating the idea of returning to the beach, even being civil around him was hard when she was feeling this angry. Jack was still giving her a mostly cold shoulder and she didn't feel like talking to Claire or Sun. Her face grew solemn as she thought about the fact that she had never been very good at making friends. Just then she heard a rustling in the bushes behind her and she spun around to see what it was. Standing a couple of meters from her, frozen, half in and half out of the bushes was a startled yet serious looking Sawyer. His gaze was sombre from behind a curtain a dirty blond locks hanging lose over his face; the mischievous dimples that made her smile were missing from this unshaven cheeks. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity but Kate had worked herself up so much that she decided to confront him again on the issue troubling her. It had been two days since that night when he had stood behind the fire berating the islanders for taking his things, severing what ties he had made since they crashed and condescendingly proclaiming himself the new sheriff on the island. Two days since he had hurt her, tossing her in with the rest like she didn't mean anything more to him than they did. Kate was fed up with not understanding why he would defend her with such ferocity one day, she could still hear the fury in his voice "If you touch one hair on her head-", and indifferently use her to fulfil his own selfish ends the next. She was unable to dance around the problem any more.

"How could you do it to me?" Kate asked, trying to mask the spite in her voice.

"I wasn't aware we had done it, Freckles" Sawyer replied, his trademark smirk growing on his lips.

"Don't!" She spat venomously finally saying what she really felt "You know what I'm talking about! How could you fool me like that? How could you play me, for guns?" he rolled his eyes moving out of the bushes towards her.

"Look I told you before Freckles-" Sawyer began but she cut him off, turning to face scruffy man before her.

"And stop calling me that! When did you decide you could give me a nickname, like we know each other! Like you give a damn about me?" She was now shouting, glad to be far enough away from the beach to do so "I heard you and Jack before I was captured when we were going to save Michael!" Sawyer's eyes widened a little.

"What? When I told Jack to back off from getting angry at you?" Sawyer exclaimed, holding out hope that she hadn't heard the rest.

"No, Sawyer…when you said you didn't love me" her voice cracked on the last word. Sawyer looked away, glaring at a spot on the ground to the right of her feet but didn't leave. Kate composed herself continuing on.

"If you don't love me then what are you doing with me? Why are you always flirting with me? Are you just trying to get some? What?" she asked coldly, her voice losing care as she attempted to storm past him. He grabbed her arm pulling her close to him.

"Look" he growled staring straight into her eyes "…I" his mouth opened and closed as if he was trying to say something but no words came out.

"Get off, Sawyer!" her voice stung him as she shoved him away and he let her go, allowing her to push past him. He pivoted looking down angrily, once again, unwilling to meet her gaze then barked her name.

"Kate!" she stoped, the word sounding strange yet faintly attractive in his accent "That aint true"

"Oh, yeah?" Kate asked still not turning.

"Maybe ya'll forgot, but Jack wasn't the one to stick up for you when that bastard Zeeke had a gun to your head, he wasn't the one to untie you either. Yeah I stole the guns and I used you but I had my reasons and one o' the most important was to put Jack in his place, not to mess with you. Ever since I got back from trying to save everyone's asses, he's been playing King of the hill. Before I had a say and some respect but now…well I'm not gonna let him write the rules and walk all over me. He treats you the same and you know it, the glory's getting to his head and unlike you I aint gonna let him get what he wants-"

"How? By stealing our only line of defence against the others and having everyone hate you?" Kate glared over her shoulder at him and he finally looked up to lock eyes with her. His eyes were intense and his expression was something of interest. It was like he was struggling with a decision. Like he was trying to suppress an emotion that was clawing its way to the surface. Within the next sentence it broke out and Kate realised why, for once, Sawyer was arguing a point that was materialistically unimportant.

"Everyone but you, Freckles" his tone was rough but she could hear the pain in it "It was the only way". She stared at him evenly. He was slightly slouched; the expression on his face looked suddenly familiar. It was from the night before he left on the raft. A mixture between guilt, sadness and…, her eyes widened, care. That night it had flashed for a second then disappeared but now it lingered, he wasn't willing to admit how bad he felt. He did care. She blinked a few times and frowned.

"Next time find someone else to mess with" she said shortly, her voice wavering a little as she turned away heading off into the jungle.

* * *

Despite their little talk at the waterfall a few days earlier Kate was still loathing the idea of having to talk to him so soon but Claire was determined to go into the jungle to find a cure for Aaron. Questioning Claire's stability hadn't gotten anyone anywhere and Kate, finally beginning to form a bond with her, was not going to let her march out into the jungle where the others undoubtedly were in the state she was in alone and unarmed. Sawyer was sitting, as he always seemed to be, and reading. She approached him firmly and he looked up half smiling at the sight of her and leaned forward a little. 

"Check it out, I found a new pair of glasses, damn near my prescription. You like em?" He joked, referring to the thick rimmed glasses, attempting to return to the routine they use to have. However she didn't smile sweetly and shoot back a snide remark, but ignored his question showing she intended only on getting what she came for.

"I need a gun. And you don't get to ask why" She replied callously, with a harsh edge to her tone as she watched him. If he was taken back he hid it well and continued.

"Well, Thelma, seeing as I got all the guns, I do get to ask why" he responded slyly still smirking.

"No, you don't." Kate answered quickly and irritably. She did not want to engage in any childish argument because if she did she knew it wouldn't be long before…

"Yes, I do. Watch... why?" he asked playfully grinning. Kate glared at him for a few minutes then sighed. She knew he wasn't going to make this easy for her, he never did. Especially when he smiled.

"I'm going into the jungle to track down Rousseau" She finally answered looking away.

"The French chick? What for?" Sawyers tone changed to curiosity. Kate was growing impatient, Claire was sure to storm out of camp any moment and she needed the weapons.

"Claire thinks she knows where there might be some medicine, the baby's sick." Kate now began to explain quickly praying he would just agree and hand over a gun or two.

"Hell, I got medicine" he replied, assuming again, that they were on good terms.

"She thinks he's really sick, as in quarantine sick" Kate snapped looking back at him.

"What do you think?" he questioned. She was beginning to feel a bit more at ease in the conversation however the urgency didn't fade.

"I think she's a little too worried, but she's going after Rousseau with or without me" Kate answered him.

"No boys allowed, huh?" She smiled, she didn't realize it but in that short moment she had forgiven him, it was quite a few days before it sunk in but she had already begun to lay his betrayal to rest. She almost asked if he was worried about her but she decided against it opting to shake her head in recognition instead. It wouldn't be to long before things between them would be back to the way they use to be. Sawyer grinned a little at her smile knowing he'd broken her cold front.

"Alright, what do you want, nine millimeter or rifle?"

A/N It is very difficult to write a definative end to a fanfic set in a current television show because the actual story will contiune on past the fic. I will difinatly write more Skate and Lost fics as the seris goes on but wether they will be part of this particular fic or stand on thier own as one shots depends on the situations that occur in the seris but this will most likely be the last chapter of this particular fanfic seris (theres a chance an idea for a new chapter will pop into my head within the next week and i don't want to be like "Damn i told everyone its over". Soput an alert on it if you want to watch out for new chapters). I hope you enjoyed it and i just wanted to thank you all for being so suportive and encourging me to go on and contunie this fic beyond its planed boundarys cause i'm proud of what i've written and without you it would'nt be here:) Especially CowboyswithDimples, Orlando-crazy, KateLillyand 1LostFan.


End file.
